Help we with a basic question

[DonaldsRump]

My teenager asked me why is it ok to refer to the 1918 epidemic as the "Spanish Flu", but not ok to refer to COVID-19 as the "Chinese Virus."

In fairness, that's got me stumped.

I would like to call today's disease the Trump Virus, but any ideas how to respond to this fair question would be appreciated!

[RockRaven]

1. It's not okay. Especially because it is historically false, so you're smearing Spaniards in error.

From what I've read, a favored theory about the geographic point of origin of that flu strain was...... Kansas.

[DonaldsRump]

6. I am not smearing anyone

Take a look at the posts on DU to see how our fellow DUers are smearing Spaniards.

This is a basic question, so there's no need to get testy about it.

[RockRaven]

12. My "you're" was a general you're (intended as an informal "one is" ), not a YOU you

Really not testy at all. Chill out.

Another thing to point out about identifying diseases by nationality in this manner being not right is seen in old-timey European names for venereal diseases. IIRC, the English called syphilis "the French disease" while the French called it "the Italian disease." Both of those terms attributed the disease to a nationality the user considered inferior, specifically culturally and morally inferior. That's what Trumpland is doing by adopting that term.

[DonaldsRump]

16. In the spirit of "It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' is"

I am happy to retract my testy comment! (and by the way, I believe that Clinton's point was well taken).

Anyways, this, plus all the other explanations really help. I totally agree about the Chinese Virus racism, which is why I have made MULTIPLE posts on DU that it should be called "The Trump Virus" for Trump's total abdication in doing anything.

Will discuss with my teenager tomorrow morning, so thanks to you and to all.

[Hoyt]

2. Look up the reason they called it the Spanish Flu.

It had nothing to do with the origin of the strain.

[juxtaposed]

3. Kansas is the point from which the Spanish Flu came from a pig if i'm correct. A Kansas Pig.

[PJMcK]

4. Well, it's a misnomer

Here's the link to the Wikipedia entry. It will answer some of your questions:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu

You're correct that it should be called the Trump Virus.

[brewens]

5. I just heard last week I think that the Spanish Flu was only called that because their press

was allowed to print the truth. They never really knew where it came from.

[msongs]

7. have read it originated in pig farms behind the lines in France nt

[tblue37]

8. It wasn't, but we know better now than they did then about not triggering bigotry when

naming diseases. In fact, the term "1918 flu pandemic" is more commonly used now by those who wish not to be offensive. The flu started in the US, but because our government deliberately suppressed information about what was going on, the disease was not widely know until it became more public when it hit Spain, so calling it Spanish Flu isn't even accurate.

[Walleye]

9. Because science has advanced 100 years and we have a specific name for this virus.

Nobody else is calling it the Chinese virus. It just sounds ignorant. There are many viruses in China. Also it gives racists trumpists another excuse for their racism.

[lapfog_1]

10. The Spanish Flu didn't start in Spain.

It started in WWI, and because announcing that troops in this location or that location had the flu would be a security risk, the flu simply wasn't reported on in press except for Spain.. hence the Spanish Flu.

There is a theory that it was started in Kansas and migrated to Europe via our army deploying there.

I think the issue with calling this the "Chinese Flu" is that Chinese refers to both a place and a race of people... and it's not the flu.

Calling it the Wuhan Coronavirus is marginally better. But calling it Covid-19 is even better.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

15. I think the official name now is SARS-CoV-2.

See this video by an expert:

By the way, I highly recommend this entire series by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong. It's seven short videos that every American should watch, IMO.

Link to YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdgePvblfv94cvAtTVcaRYXrEepvG_JKM

If you like it, pass it along to friends, family and work associates. It could save a life.......

[canetoad]

11. Spain was neutral during WW1

And was the first to report influenza deaths. 'Spanish Flu' was a nickname by commentators at the time and it stuck.

But to answer your teenager's question, the world has simply changed over the past hundred years and we are much more aware of blame and finger-pointing.

[Hugin]

13. It wasn't okay then and it isn't okay now...

From the wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu

"Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify with certainty the pandemic's geographic origin."


"To maintain morale, wartime censors minimized early reports of illness and mortality in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. Papers were free to report the epidemic's effects in neutral Spain (such as the grave illness of King Alfonso XIII). These stories created a false impression of Spain as especially hard hit, giving rise to the pandemic's nickname, 'Spanish flu'."

Pompus-eo is driving this "China Virus" misinformation bullshit.

[marble falls]

14. We did a lot of things back then, lynched PoC, worked eight year olds in mines and spinning ...

factories, bought and sold people in and out of slavery, wouldn't give women the vote, we shouldn't have done.

Its called the Flu Epidemic of 1918 amongst educated people.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

17. Viruses are no respecter of borders and can originate anywhere....

therefore it's pure politics to attach any nation's name to any of them.

For example, let's imagine:

This virus could have gone through its mutation stages say, in Vietnam while residing in a species of snake. Snakes might have been caught and taken to Laos and China for sale in exotic food markets.

So, it's purely coincidental it became active in humans in China. It could have happened in Cambodia or even the USA.

KY..........

[flotsam]

18. I have to say

...you would have to be insane to blame the people who live where a virus appears for the virus. I honestly believe it is actually helpful to tag any part of the vector as the name for a new virus. We have noted Swine flu and Avian Flu and ebola is linked in most minds to Africa. If this was remembered as China flu or better as Wuhan Flu it only identifies this event and only magat morons think the term conveys some blame. Spanish flu was a misnomer but Wuhan Virus is not...

[Spider Jerusalem]

19. Because 1918 was over 100 years ago and Spaniards are white

coronavirus is current and ongoing; East Asians are phenotypically distinct from Europeans; East Asians have already been the target of hate crimes in the UK, US and elsewhere because of the "China virus" thing. Spaniards are not likely to be assaulted in the street for the 1918 flu (and random passersby in countries with predominantly European populations would have no reason to assume they were Spanish).